Los Angeles based indie-pop rock band, The Mowgli's, is a six-piece group known for their laid-back mix of sunny West Coast pop, garage rock, and 60's Laurel Canyon folk sound. The band's uplifting, universal message of positivity and love has resonated with audiences all over the world. Lucky for those located in the Bay Area the band will be spreading the love at The Ritz this Monday, July 3rd.
The band just released their new single, "Freakin' Me Out," and have a yet-to-be titled album due this fall. Listen to the new track and get some insight into the band's musical process from our interview with vocalist, guitarist, and percussionist, Colin Dieden. Don't forget to snag tickets to their upcoming show with Panic is Perfect.
One of your hit songs is called "San Francisco." What was it about SF that inspired you to write it?
There's always just been something about the energy of that city that fascinates and does something really interesting to me. It feels like I think about things differently when I spend time in San Francisco. Maybe I'm just sensitive towards to the city because all my favorite poets lived and wrote there. Either way, it makes me feel a lot, so I wrote a song about it.
Any must go to places while you're in SF?
I like to go to City Lights books obviously, and recently, we discovered an incredible restaurant called Foreign Cinema.
What is your favorite music to listen to when you're feeling down?
Seems like that changes every year for me. Lately this song "Headlights ft. Isley" by Robin Shulz and "Smaller" by Erik Hassel have been doing some pretty crazy things to my heart.
What do you miss most about home while you're on tour?
My dog, without a doubt.
What's the weirdest experience in recent memory you've had while on tour?
Met an actual Trump supporter. It was scary but weirdly funny. Didn't know they were real I guess.
What's different about playing in Nor Cal vs. So Cal?
Well because we have a song called "San Francisco," NorCal has really taken us in like family. It's just a really tightly knit fanbase up there. I should probably write a song called "Los Angeles" or "San Diego" soon.
Dream band to go on tour and/or collaborate with?
I wanna do a song with Fetty Wap, but that's definitely my own feeling, not necessarily one that my band shares.
What's your favorite song to cover live?
Honestly don't love playing covers.
What makes for a good live show?
An audience so energetic that you feel like you're working extra hard to match them. The whole place becomes electric.
With so many band members, how do you manage to all stay on the same page in terms of what kind of music you want to make?
We just take the best songs. That's literally all that matters.
What's your opinion of Tinder?
It's fine. I think it fictionalizes love and I find it a little scary from an evolutionary psychology standpoint. But I also don't use it, so I don't really care that much I guess. I'm just interested in other stuff.
Written by Leah Kelly-Reingold
Freakin' out over The Mowgli's? Grab tickets to their show at The Ritz on Monday, July 3rd.
